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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Friday, April 30, 2010

One more thing...

...I was thinking about Justin and something he told me in the parking lot at church Thursday, after Bible study. He was the one with the time crunch, since he had to go to work but still, "he had words left over". This was something he had told me when he was a little boy. I had gone into his room to tell him one more time to stop talking and go to sleep!!! "But, Mom, I have words left over...." Yes, when he was tested for admittance to St. Johns when he was 5, the assistant Headmaster called me to report that although Justin was polite, well-mannered, and all that, he DID have a problem---"Justin exhibits some verbal over-flow...." What?!? Have you ever heard of such a thing? What a way to phrase it! Go ahead and say it, Mr. Edwards....he is just like his mother!!! This verbal overflow made Justin a perfect candidate for the pre-k program ( and another year's worth of tuition!) where the teachers would work with him to dial it back some. Didn't work....
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Back to the the parking lot (I digressed (over-flowed)).....Justin was excitedly telling me about the comic books characters, picture my eyes glazing over, and still trying to absorb what he was telling me. Then he launched into why he was doodling something on the napkin during Bible study. I did see him write a few things but paid little attention to what it was, figuring it was stray thoughts. Well, he had come up with the idea, shared with me before, for designing a glow-in-the-dark paint for cars so that no matter what, they can be seen at night. A safety issue, not for the person driving the glowing car, but the other drivers being able to see them. He had asked his friend, the civil engineer, what the painters use on the roads to mark the lanes and arrows and found out it was plastic. This is his mind going......
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Justin asked me, as one subject flowed into another, if I knew the expression 'aliens and robots'. I said I had heard it but he offered the explanation for me. He said, "Mom, you and I are aliens...." which I could have easily told him. But, wait, there's more. "Some people go through life looking either straight ahead, or side-to-side. Aliens look up and all around....." I was just given a great compliment, I think! He related a recent experience with his robot friends---this past weekend the three guys had gone to the fairgrounds downtown for a Wing Fest, where area restaurants and vendors gathered to sell their wings. It turned out to be too rich for their blood so they went to The Landing instead. They were heading for the American Cafe and got separated in the crowd gathered for a free concert. Justin positioned himself on the stairway leading to the restaurant where they were headed and could see his buddies, but they could not see him. He waved his arms and tried to call out over the band, but to no avail. They were looking straight ahead for him, or side-to-side, and not up. Huh....As Justin put it, "What was our goal? To get to American Cafe. That is where they should have looked, and not at people's shoulders and backs!" Robots vs. aliens. I just hope and pray I never get separated from Justin in a crowd and not be able to find him, and become less alien!

Justinisms

One of my more faithful readers commented (thanks, Darla!) about how she finds Justin and me amusing. Really, Darla, you would be amazed at just how funny this kid is, without even trying. Or so sweet. Make no mistake, he gave us wwaayy too much grief regarding doing homework and chores, oh my goodness, he was much/is less than inspired. We often wondered where he got this work ethic and attitude because his father and I were all about work and our business, but Justin was not. But he would use his being very bright to figure out ways and plans to avoid work, or to streamline it, anything he could do to get out of it!
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As far as coming out with funny things, my mom often recalls her favorite episode, one of his "Justinisms", as they came to be known. The three were of us were driving down one of our incredibly busy streets heading toward home one afternoon when Justin was about 4 or 5 years old, I think. At this time, the area of this road had few businesses or dining establishments on 'the way home'. Justin announced that he had to go potty, to which I said there was no place for me to stop right now, he would have to wait until we got home. I was not lying, there was nothing on the southbound side of Blanding, not even a gas station, for a long stretch. From the backseat he heaved a great sigh and said, "Okay, then. I'll just hold my knees together and pray....". After a beat, Mom and I just lost it, laughing, and I decided I had better find a place to turn around and go back the other way, crossing three lanes of traffic, to find him a bathroom!! We needed one now, too!!! Holding our knees together and praying, we went potty at the Hardee's.
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Mom sewed clothes for the kids in our family, and for Justin, camp shirt and short/slacks sets were wonderful. One day he opened a 'care package' that we had picked up at the post office, mailed by his grandma to him. She would draw pictures of "ephaloes" (elephants) for Justin, his favorite animal since he was little, and one of those was in the care package, too. He pulled out a couple new outfits, perhaps even a pair of pj's, and hugged them. I said, "The Lord has really blessed Grandma's hands so she could make these for you...." to which he agreed. We drove a bit down the road before he announced, "The Lord has blessed the hands of the banner makers, too...", referring to the cross-stitched banners hanging in our church. Yes, the Lord does bless the hands of Twila and also June, who used to help with the banners. It just blew me away that he would even think of that. Every now and again when I look at the banners which remain hanging in the church, I think of his remark, which I have shared more than once with Twila, whom he considers his 'other' Grandma!
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Justin used to tell us his dreams, just like I do! He would sit at the breakfast table and relate the entire dream, pausing as he tried to remember, or so we thought, the highlights of his dream. At one point I realized he was embellishing this particular dream, making a story out of it (likely not eating breakfast and time was of the essence, of course). I said, "Now I think you're making stuff up..." to which he replied, "I'm just adding details for interest...." Again, Mom and I were dissolved in laughter. "I'm just adding details for interest..." Love it! I wish we would have harnessed those dreams/stories back then!!!
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There were countless examples of Justinisms, but I think the one I remember now was not that long ago. It was spoken when our friends, the Prange's, were visiting us from Morton Grove. In fact, that visit was about 5 years ago next month, as today is my great-nephew, Manny's, birthday! We showed the Prange's photos taken at Manny's baptism and one of the pictures showed Gabe, who is only 16 months older than his new brother. Gabe was born with a moustache and sideburns, very attractive on an infant. Justin piped up, when showing the photos, "You'd think Gabe would shave for his brother's baptism!" Of course, we chuckled here at my house, and I was told by Pete that their entire visit in Florida, that line was the highpoint! He said they'd be driving down the road and one or the other would say, "You'd think he'd shave for his brother's baptism..." and just lose it. They probably had to hold their knees together and pray,too!
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Okay, family and friends, can you remember any other Justinisms from little boy on up? You would think his mom would never forget them, but somehow, I have. We should have written them down, right? Now is my chance if you can jog my memory....

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Busy, busy, busy

There is a man on the radio right now, a guest on one of the programs, whom I would love to kiss 'n hug if I had a chance. What he has to say is so profound to me, talking about the Founders and so on, what some of the earlier mindsets were back in earlier days of our nation. The guest referenced a speaker from those days who preached about how folks were 'worshiping the golden calf', caring more about their stuff than they did about their religious roots, saying the people worshiped their prosperity rather than the Lord who provided it for them. Is that not the truth?!?
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Presently, besides my laptop playing the radio show for me (is it still radio if it is a podcast???), there is substantial hammering, pounding, and prying going on below me. It seems my neighbors might be replacing their ceiling or something. I saw planks lined up against the rail on the 2nd floor, dark stained strips which could become a ceiling...Won't I be surprised if if it is actually the floor being done? If so, then why did it sound like they were hitting the bottoms of my feet? Guess I could go down there and check it out, I suppose. On the first floor, one of the Owners is having a wood deck being built over his tiled patio, for some reason. It is possible the wood brings the height/level up to match the doorway to accommodate his motorized chair. Saws and hammering is taking place below my window and below my bed!
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Yesterday, Justin was here to clean and check items off the 'honey-do' list. Instead of coming on Thursday as originally planned, he came Wednesday since he could not do the job he had been assigned. His father is moving into the small home we own in Brookstone and work is going on to freshen the interior as it shows its age plus wear and tear from the various renters. Justin's job was to pressure wash but there was no water service as it was disconnected by the tenants and not restarted until today. His father is in the southernmost part of the state right now so Justin has to open the house and lock it back up at the end of the day. Including this a.m. before Bible study, which was highly inconvenient as Justin had to run way over there and back again before 10:00 a.m., something he was not prepared for until the phone call came to let people in!
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Justin is optimistic that the market is turning around, at least the one he is directly involved with, but after talking with Joanne this a.m. and hearing her stories, I have my doubts. The Realtors must work and work and work in order to put a deal together, having to negotiate with lenders on a property, sometimes more than one if the Seller has a second mortgage as well....yikes! It might take as long as 4 months before a package can be put together, since many of the sales are in foreclosure or being sold short. Miss Chardonnay has had a few recent contracts and for that we all rejoice, since some of them are nearby and affect the 'comps' on our properties. If any of us here decide to list our condo for sale, the Realtors will refer to the MLS to see what the sale price was for area properties, and determine the selling price for ours. At this point, it matters not what we actually paid for the property, it is about how much it will sell for now. If there were no sales around here, that is not a good thing! Poor Joanne, no wonder she is sick....Still on IV antibiotics which she can stop and start on her own since she was also a nurse. She was going to the doctor this a.m. and said it just wears her out to get up and dressed and out the door. Barely up and already planning her nap...I get that!
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The river, and the skies above it, are busy with boats going up and down the river, many of them working vessels, with helicopters and planes in the air. Choppers are flying just above the surface, at least it appears that way from here, and moving along quickly. Between the motor boats and the saws and the pounding and dogs barking, it sounds really quite alive around here. I am sure Justin has plenty of noise too with his pressure washer going. He has called me a couple times since we parted company at Victory with various fun facts or something important to tell me. The last call he made was trying to get me to download some additional podcasts but I was unable to do so. He said he will come next week to set it up for me, speeches from the recent CPAC gatherings. I would LOVE to have them but could not get them to load.
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When he was here to clean yesterday, he kept venturing into my room to talk to me, which really tickles my funny bone. It is like he bubbles over with stuff. At one point he stood in the river room door way and just gazed at my book shelves, saying, "You have a lot of books..." as he reached for one of my favorites, "Eats Shoots and Leaves", which used to have a place of honor on my dresser. One day he had walked in, picked it up and after looking at it, said, "You are such an English person!" since this book is about punctuation and grammar. He pulled that one from the shelf yesterday and again told me how because of me, he had won a trivia contest in one of their hangouts. He knew what the subject matter was in that particular book, and no one else did! You're welcome, Justin!
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Even though I was listening to the radio on-line as he worked, he kept coming in to ask me to look up different songs on the computer, ones he had heard on American Idol (yes, he is a fan....) so I can listen to them. Or, he would relate an entire episode of a TV show to tell me the punch line. Again, I love it! We had a misunderstanding though, regarding an item on my list. I had twice now requested that he vacuum the face of my dresser and the bathroom vanity. When he left my room without doing that, packing up the vacuum cleaner and such, I reminded him about doing it. He claimed he had, even though I was right here and saw he did not. Upon further discussion, he did not know what the face of the dresser or vanity were----he was going around the base where they met the floor, thinking that was the face. Instead of vacuuming, then, he took the Pledge and physically dusted the dresser fronts and the bathroom vanity, a more thorough job than the dusting brush would have provided. In the building business, that would fall under 'scope of work', making sure the contractor knew what was expected of them! I was not angry and neither was he, just was sort of a learning thing for us both. Huh....
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He had to be my teacher, too, today, besides the failed download attempt. He was playing trivia at Applebee's last night and said he was the only one in his group who knew about the universes of the superheroes. Um, what? That was a 20 minute explanation in the church parking lot as he described which heroes were Marvel Comics while others were DC Comics, and they will never battle each other as they are in separate universes. Good for you, Justin, for knowing that trivia! But, he could not explain why Superman does not have a good sense of humor! (Seinfeld trivia, bring it on!!!!)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A couple observations...

Yesterday while waiting for my prescriptions, I sat on the bench near the pharmacy for a couple minutes as I had found the items I needed to buy and wanted not another thing. A mom came through with two young girls, perhaps 11 or 12, old enough to walk around without their mom. There was a Dr. Scholl's display near where I sat, with handrails on it. Apparently one stands on this thing and it determines something about your arches or feet, recommending a certain product Dr. Scholl's offers. The one little girl said to her mom, "I wanna stand on this thing..." to which the shopping mom said, "No, stay here with me" where upon the little girl slipped her shoes off and climbed onto the gizmo. Why did she even ask her mom if she was going to do it anyway? Why did the mom tell her no when she had no intent of stopping her or even a good reason she should not? Mom was standing right there searching the vitamin shelves so it was not that the child wandered away, but the mom had said, "No", and that should have been that. There was no follow through, and likely none expected since the girl had no hesitation at all about doing it anyway. Huh...
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Last night Martie and I met for drinks and dinner when she got done working. Usually we meet at the Mexican restaurant just up the road from where she works and have a margarita, and eat. She wanted something different so she suggested the Olive Garden. We found ourselves going in tandem to the restaurant, as she came around the corner off of Kingsley as I came from home. My drink of choice was the berry sangria and Martie had a standard margarita, not the Italian one. Martie had a late lunch so we shared a house salad, more than enough for two people, and I ordered the appetizer of flat bread with tomatoes and mozzarella. It was okay, but do not think I would order it again. Should have stuck with my usual of chicken scampi! My tummy was mad about the salad (thank you VERY much, Joanne!!!!) as it evidently did not sit well. I fell asleep early but soon woke up feeling awful, realizing the storm had ended and the moon was out in full force. That was quick!
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When at Wal*Mart yesterday I found a display with discounted picture frames. I needed a new frame for the bulletin insert from Timmy's funeral service and found a lovely one for $3.00. The existing one hung on the wall in the preschool and the hook let loose, causing the frame to break. It has taken me this long to remember to get a new frame! When I got home, I tried it on for size and found that the insert had faded substantially so I will replace it with a fresh one from one of the service folders. So, I have two things to get hung up in the classroom building one of these days. I remember taking my tack hammer and little cup of nails/hooks with me to the fellowship hall when I hung up a picture donated by Jean N. but could not locate the little shelf that went with it. I left the tools on the sink but now cannot recall the last time I saw them...Perhaps under the sink or in a cabinet or in the hall closet. If I cannot find the hammer, I will have to take a different one from home. Maybe Mike C. will help me hang the larger framed piece I picked up yesterday from Great Hang Ups.
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My boy has been somewhat a stranger, because I have not seen him since Thursday at Bible study. It seems he is done with his spring classes and has been keeping busy working and playing. He plays beach volleyball on Saturday mornings and am not sure what they do the rest of the day (his friends and he) and likely do not need to know. I sent him a wake-up text message on Sunday because the week before, when he was staying at his friend's house in Mandarin, he did not leave enough time for the travel to church so he missed it. He said they got busy downloading stuff on their phones or something and I did not want that to happen again. On this past Sunday, Justin told me he had just gotten out of the shower so was on track to make it to church on time. His friend's parents are in Hawaii celebrating their 25th anniversary so the two guys are staying at his house, watching the dog and the grandma. That is the sweet grandma who wrote me the lovely Thank You card after sharing our feast at Easter, etc. Justin sent me a long message yesterday reporting that he is busy at Ron's getting ready for his birthday party this weekend, a Redneck Party. Last week he told me they were trying to 'guilt' Ron's folks into coming back for their son's birthday. Wouldn't these kids be surprised to have the parents show up??? At least Grammy will be there!
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Justin said they bought clothesline to hang 'granny panties' and other wretched items from, and I told him that his auntie Lynn would be so proud of him! They also picked up two kiddie pools (a.k.a. above ground pools!) for keeping the beverages in, and other fun ideas. Unfortunately they could not find any discarded toilets to decorate the yard and Justin, in his typical fashion, even asked Ron if they did not need to replace a toilet in the house.......NO!!!!! They already have a trash barrel they are using for roasting hot dogs and such, since Jesse's sister operates a hot dog cart, has a great connection for jumbo dogs. I can taste them already...mmmmmmm! I do hope the kids clean everything up perfectly and don't kill the grass with the kiddie pools or the slip 'n slide they are fabricating out of sheets of plastic. I can already hear his moans and groans about hurting himself...
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Justin will be coming here on Thursday after Bible study to do the cleaning and whatever else I want him to help me with, giving me until 5:00 pm. I can pack all sorts of jobs into that time frame, believe me! This means I will have to get busy with the dusting again. It seems the worst of the pollen problem may be behind us with a couple rain showers and brisk winds perhaps moving it along. We had rain on Sunday, I think, and again last night, briefly but the breezes have been delightful, making the wind chimes sing in the river room. Another of the ice cycles from my glass sun catcher fell the other day, leaving only two or three hanging in there. I told Justin a new sun catcher would make a lovely Mother's Day present....like I am hard to buy for!



Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I am too tired to write tonight

It is thundering and lightning and raining, which makes me want to just go to sleep. Especially since I did not get a rest today with my busy afternoon. First to the doctor where I got to listen to the staff enjoying their lunch break in the front office when I was in the waiting area. They sounded like a fun bunch to me! I met my new doctor, named Betsy, who was more like a kid than a doctor. But, boy, she knew her stuff and checked me over from head to toe. Very thorough but also very fun. But what is in store for me down the road? Yes, Jill, I am following your good example (and Mom and Lynn's) of getting the *gulp* dreaded colonoscopy done. My Little Marine, Judy J., will be so proud of me and might even insist on taking me and picking me up again. Instead, though, I think I will ask Justin to be my caretaker for this, in case I need to lean on someone "durable".
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One of the fun things from the doctor visit was presenting my sheet of paper from Life Line Screening which detailed the results of all the tests they ran, which were highlighted colorfully on the page, in columns. Right down the line the readings indicated "normal, normal, normal,..." as Betsy followed them down. When she got to the one that read, "Desirable", I told her, "Yes, I tested positive for desirable..." and how the three of us laughed. Her MA was in the room, too, getting a kick out of us. I also told the doctor how I am the new "normal" and she got a kick out of that, too.
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She is all about skin health and breast health, too, and wants me to come back again so she can remove a mess of my skin tags and beauty marks. She also soon figured out that I spend time poolside as she could see the residual affects of my tan line. She asked me if I had anyone at home who could help apply sunscreen and I sadly told her I did not....She said I should ask my neighbors to do that for me. Okay, I have that handsome Navy pilot just down the corridor from me I could ask....or the baby doctor up on the 5th floor i could ask...I am so glad that she can do that in her office rather than have to go see another doctor for that. Too bad she cannot do the 'other' test in her office, too, but instead she is sending me to a female gastroenterologist just down the street from here.
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After I left the doctor's office with all my paperwork in my hand, I headed over to see the ladies at Great Hang Ups, after getting a soda and some yogurt parfait from McDonald's. My framed piece turned out wonderfully, as expected, and I will take it over to the classroom building tomorrow. I might not hang it up tomorrow but must get it out of my car before I wreck it. We got caught up on the past weekend's events which included two art shows, the Sunday one being the show I had to miss due to the fashion duties at Bealls. Rats! Mike was fortunate to have about one half of his inventory sell on Saturday at the Town Hall event. Julia and I compared notes about how filthy our feet were after being on those grounds. She fears her sneakers may be ruined but is going to try Oxyclean on them before giving up. Dee received a gift certificate to eat at Koko's which she intends to share with me, and Julia, of course!
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I went to Wal*Mart to get my scrips filled, wishing the doctor's office had called them in for me so I would not go shopping. I did well, though, because I did actually need a few items including a padded envelope for mailing a DVD called "Road to Emmaus" given to me for Linda J. by Bonnie at Victory. Also picked up a box of silver remover to fix the peeking through problem in my hair. I must say that the ladies that work in the pharmacy at Wal*Mart are so very nice, always recognize me even though I sometimes do not have to come in for several months. Somehow, though, they never remember my birthdate---they ask me every single time, starting when I drop off the prescription paperwork to when I pay for it later!
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Funny thing about this spell checker---it does not recognize 'colonoscopy'! It offers the word kaleidoscope as an alternative..........very interesting!!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Thank goodness for the FeedJit Counter....

...........and that is all I will say about that!
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Oh, I have to make my bed tonight. I just looked over my shoulder and saw my bed is yet undressed. Tonight, hopefully, I will sleep on fresh sheets, still warm from the dryer. Even though they were not hung on the wash lines, they will still be fresh and clean from the dryer. It is just a 'difficult' task to make the bed, running around from side to side, tugging and pulling, throwing the heavy comforter across, etc. Falling into the bed will feel good once it's made up.
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I am feeling a bit lightheaded at this moment since I had my haircut this afternoon. What a relief! I was looking quite wild and thankfully now I am back on schedule with my haircuts being on the full moon. What I really wanted was a nap but I sat in the booty shop a long while as Barb was backed up with clients lined up out the door--well, not quite THAT dramatic, but backed up nonetheless. Guess I had better get a box of silver remover for my hair as Barb remarked at how pretty it looked with the silver peeking through....oops!
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It was a glorious day today all around, and weather-wise, with the temps in the mid-80's and a light breeze. Fortunately I took my 'dinner jacket' in to Bible study with me as the A/C was on. Our discussion continues about the millenialists and their beliefs regarding the end of days. We, as a whole, are really getting lots from the study, much to chew on, and such a picture painted for us in the Word regarding our heavenly reward. Why hang around on earth when that bliss awaits us???? We enjoyed our lunch at Longhorn, all but one of the class around the table. You know that makes me so happy! We celebrated, in a low-key fashion, Gretchen's birthday, complete with hands clapping and a song by the staff and nice dish of ice cream with chocolate syrup on top! Gretchen was not totally horrified at the attention and enjoyed her special treat.
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An osprey just drifted passed my window carrying a nice fish for its dinner. I wonder if they are like cats who like to bring their catch to the door or at their owner's feet as a gift. The birds like to bring it to my windows to show me what they caught. Not very appetizing but I am not a fish eater, except for lake perch. I would carry it around if I had some perch 'on hand'!!! The river is busy with boat traffic, or at least it was earlier this evening. Now that is getting dark, it has quieted. One considerably large barge (hey, that rhymes!) went through and the sun reflected off of its windows. Very nice!
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It has been a busy afternoon, after my rest, with e-mails going out to various folks as I try to get things rolling along on the 10th anniversary celebration. A week has gone by since I sent the first e-mail out with only Jen P. replying so I sent out a follow-up 'request' for input. I also made a proposal to the powers that be to present the movie "Road to Emmaus" in a larger venue than my living room. Jim B., our President, suggested we use a side-room at the place formerly known as Buzzy's, where I used to hang out quite a lot. We can use the room and have dinner with fellowship besides. I will make the calls to see if that will work and then come up with a date. EVERYTHING takes time....so much time!
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My sleep was interrupted or rather, cut short, when the Comcast signal dropped off just before 6:00 a.m. and I was immediately awake. See? I need the TV on in order to sleep! Basically I got 'only' about six hours of sleep when I wanted so much more!! Blast that signal cutting in and out! My neighbor said the other night that he thinks that bugs are still being worked out of the digital system which is why the stations come and go. But, it is so hard on my sleeping to have it quit in the midst of my dreams. Makes me feel owlie!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Two funerals today

When I got to church today, Pastor had already begun the opening for Sunday school. Their lesson was the story of Ruth and Boaz, a love story. I will always remember the time Pete was reading from this book in our Bible study and got choked up while reading the final chapter. Such love, and Ruth would be an ancestor of the Savior!
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This morning our Bible study course is one we have covered in the past on various occasions, the most recent time being a year ago at Monday morning's class. We never finished because when the offices were moved, the Bible study got misplaced. Fortunately Pastor borrowed "Come Worship Christ" from the other church, this time using the version marked "Catechism" which means my previous worksheets will not match. Rats! Right off the bat we had the privilege of hearing our former pastor's voice ring out as the video was played. Very nice to hear that again!
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After the class I went to get the bulletin board set up on the easel in the breezeway. I noticed the greeters were not in place so I went to stand in until they got there. Had a great chat with Linda H. whom I have not seen in some time as they normally attend at Christ Lutheran. I got to greet Paul's mom and step-dad who are visiting from Saginaw, it had been awhile since I saw Sue. She was going with us ladies to try on clothes at Bealls after worship.
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I took attendance and then sat down behind Twila and Jean. But before that, the congregation sang the first hymn for Good Shepherd Sunday, which was "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb".....oh, oh, a funeral hymn!! My timing was just right for checking attendance in the nursery so I did not hear them sing the part "....and when my short life is ended.....He shall fold me to His breast, there within His arms to rest." Oh, my goodness, what a memory-filled weekend this became! We are following readings from Revelation with today's being the ones telling about the saints wearing the white robes and circling around the throne, singing God's praises. We are told that we will never hunger or thirst again and 'He will wipe every tear from our eye...", which is repeated in the liturgy used in the Order of Funeral Service. It gets me every time and today was no exception. Pastor's sermon was based on this reading and several times he referenced tragedies and even mentioned the sudden, tragic loss of child, which made me move in my seat. After church Cliff came up to me and said he was sorry that this happened, that he felt for me. I thanked him for that, but really, the comfort and hope expressed in these verses are what help me, us, to go on. Not only when an old person dies, but young people and little children, too. All of us can look forward to being in that choir around the throne wearing the white robes.
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The sermon hymn was introduced by The Maestro, Robbie, singing the first three stanzas before the congregation joined in, "The King of Love My Shepherd Is" , which he did masterfully. More like, powerfully. Our closing hymn was "For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest", but only the first three stanzas. I wanted to keep going but I guess will settle for the three. I turned around to look at my friend, Carol, but she was busily dabbing at her eyes. A couple weeks ago Robbie had played both "In Christ Alone" and "Jerusalem the Golden" for our post-service music and I thanked him for that. I told him those were two of the 19 hymns I had chosen for my funeral and asked him to play for my service if he outlived me. He agreed and asked me to send him the list of hymns so he can practice! Well, today he found out that our closing hymn is in my Top Ten of the funeral hymns, so he can start rehearsing now! So, those of us in Bible study heard Pete singing, we revisited a portion of Timmy's funeral, got a picture of heaven, and then sang one of my funeral hymns. It was a good day!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Feeling funky this morning

Here is a photo of Timmy Day, taken when he was probably three years old or so, outside the ChildTime Day Care next to our offices in Eagle Harbor. We were waiting for Justin's bus when I took this picture. You can see his scar near the eyebrow where he had stitches after a fall at church. Love that hair! It looks like mine does now, only his is lighter! If you click on the photo, it will get larger....
This morning I woke up from one of my extremely real dreams, which we talked about last night at craft night. I told the ladies how much I liked them because sometimes I got to spend time with Timmy again and in other dreams, remember the good times, etc. But this very early morning's dream left me feeling rather, undone, because it was not neat and orderly at all.
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The scene opens in a foreign place, like perhaps a hotel or a shared home. None of our clothing was put away properly, sort of like dressing out of a box or suitcase, but not quite. I was telling the boys to get ready for school but it was hard without knowing where things were, although they seemed already established in their school and routine. Maybe I was the stranger there....
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Connie, who is our maintenance person here at The Palace, was around, perhaps got Timmy his breakfast in a common room. She asked me if a necklace, bracelet and earrings set was mine. It was not, although it should have been, since it was quite funky, so she took it to a desk and said, "No, it's not hers..." as though they knew me well. I had Timmy on my lap as he ate his breakfast which Connie had cut up for him. We had troubles finding outfits and when we did, his shirt had spots on it. I sent him into a bathroom to get ready and interrupted his going potty by calling his name, so I sent him back into the stall to finish. Then, at the sink to brush teeth using a brush and toothpaste I did not recognize. It was when I pulled the shirt over his head that I realized I do not even know his teacher and his shirt had spots.....
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Last night at Victory, we had a brief devotion about friends and how some last longer than others do, etc. We were encouraged to share stories of how particular friends were there for us and how some were not (seasonal). Of course, I jumped right on that, especially since Martie was sitting right there with me. And somehow or another, go figure this one, Linda's name came up! Many there had met Linda, most of them at the Pampered Chef Intervention at Rachel's last fall. While my stories were more of the uplifting nature, one lady shared that she has really one friend, a co-worker, besides the church friends. Another lady bemoaned the fact that when she moved to Florida, the lady she considered her best friend did not send her a Christmas card which basically marked the end of their 'acquaintance", rather than friendship. It was interesting to be discussing this in the evening, because just prior to going over there, I had a nice conversation with my genuine friend, Jimmie. He used to work with me, was one of Timmy's pall bearers, and has remained my friend through thick and thin. Rarely thin, ha ha! Last weekend I spent time with Brenda, another friend made through the building business, a friend for a lifetime, and not just a season.
*
Kelly T. and Martie rode over to Victory with me and we gathered at one table off to the side as the other ladies had pretty much spread their stuff over the two tables. So when we had the devotion, I had a friend on each side of me, with Martie being the long-timer one. Later we were talking about how I have a room in my house reserved for Martie but now she cannot do sleep-overs any longer because of her equipment used for sleeping. With some sleep apnea problems, she wears a CPAP mask plus a mouth guard so she does not grind her teeth. She claims she looks quite sexy when ready for bed. I am spared that vision....One of the ladies asked me how many bedrooms I had because so many people have been offered a room!
*
So, this morning I am headed back to that side of town, three days in a row, for another Intervention at Anne's house, as she booked a Pampered Chef party off of Rachel's. I will be thinking of Linda, of course, Queen of the Kitchen Tools! There is an art fair at OP Town Hall where my friend, Julia, and her hubby will have a booth selling their ceramics. Hopefully the weather holds, supposed to be absolutely lovely today, so perhaps I might get some time poolside later. Not yet warm enough for swimming, though, at least, not for Floridians!

Friday, April 23, 2010

I want some pancakes too!

This morning's news program, Fox and Friends, is hosting Huddle House outside their studios, complete with carpeted sidewalks, tables and chairs, grilles and griddles, with even Geraldo running about with coffee for refills. The camera man showed the plates and descriptions were made of what was served, making my tummy grumble. Who wants to go for breakfast today????? As usually happens when they have much of their program outside, a person can hear lots of horns blowing, either because the passersby know what is going on or the cabs are just telling folks, "Look out! I'm coming through!!!"
*
The other night when Peggy drove us downtown for the tax rally, she told me to hang on for dear life as "I drive like a New York cab driver", spoken like a true New Yorker, in every sense. The South has done little to dilute her accent. She was blessed and thankful that neither of her two brothers were hurt or involved in the terror attacks on 9/11/01, although both are NYFD members.
*
It was New York-themed night last night for me, much to my amusement. First of all I watched a couple episodes of "Cash Cab" which takes place in Manhattan on streets where I have been (sigh...). After that came an episode of "Seinfeld", the one where George decides to see a holistic healer (ahem, ahem) in lieu of having his tonsils removed. $4000 for the surgery versus $38 for his first visit to the healer, oh, that George!!! The healer tells George not to use hot water in his showers any longer and to cut out all dairy products.....as Jerry sat there, rolling his eyes in disgust for this faux man of medicine. George drank a funky tea made by the healer and his skin turned purple, as only his would!
*
I went outside to see if anyone was on the sundeck and there was a nice group, including the Prince in our Palace, Beckham. He is about 6 weeks old now and as cute as a button. The ladies took turns holding him, but only after they cleaned their hands with sanitizer. I can just hear Bill Cosby now making a joke about that! He had a bit where with the first baby you boiled everything; with the 2nd baby, you washed everything; the 3rd child you rinsed everything; and the next ones, you just wiped it on your pants and moved on!
*
As we sat there enjoying the last of the day's heat, I heard noise from upstairs and spotted Aaron and his team finishing up the work in Ellen's home. He had come by my house on Wednesday to introduce me to his new partner, Glen, who is also a handy-man, and brought me a bottle of spot remover as a Thank You present for referring him to Ellen. He stripped the ceramic tile and applied a sealer to her floors, and removed her 'old' area rugs. Aaron asked me to come up to see the finished project so I did, leaving dirty foot prints on the yet wet floor. He was still in the mopping process so he removed the mess when I left. Ellen was holed up in her room so I gave her a phone call to let her know he was done and needed to talk to her, as he had not yet seen her that day. Worked there nearly all day but did not greet the lady of the house---huh. She did not answer the phone so I knocked on the bedroom door where her friend, Michelle, stayed while recuperating from a broken leg. Her daughter came out and said the ladies were in the other bedroom, and since I did not want to venture further onto the floor, got her to go fetch Ellen for Aaron. Time to pay the piper!
*
Ellen called me back after I was down on the sundeck again so I encouraged her to inspect their work, etc. It seems she has injured her ankle and is using a walker to get around, and that is not good on slippery floors. I saw her Monday night at the Board of Directors meeting and she was using her cane so I wonder if the problem began then already.
*
The others at the table wondered what was being done upstairs and I told them about the tile being steam-cleaned, stripped, and then sealed. Miss Chardonnay decided she wanted her floors looked at, too, so Aaron went into her unit to check it out. He was handing out his business cards to some of those on the sundeck but I told him not to bring me any more spot remover, I'm good.
*
So, when the party broke up about 8:45 and folks went in to eat and watch the NFL draft news, I came back upstairs and put myself in the family room again. I had napped in the afternoon and did not want to go to bed too early. Since I was in the family room, I could watch "Selling New York" , which I cannot get on my bedroom TV, and was soooo excited! One particular Realtor had a guy who would come in and perform an 'energy check' of the apartment, involving incense and some sort of chanting. For real???? I wonder if this guy showers with hot water and eats dairy products.....It was just a New York-themed night between Cash Cab, Seinfeld, and then Selling New York. I did feel all "New York-ish", as Suzanne would say!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I forgot what I was going to say!

When I got myself set up here, I had some thing truly profound to say, but now it has totally left my mind. No worries, it might come back again. Mom, do not feel badly when this happens to you, because forgetfulness is not limited to the elderly...Oh, oh, oh, I remember now---the stock market eventually closed UP today with slight gains to the Dow and more to NASDAQ. As I once more changed the batteries in my wireless mouse for the laptop, it occurred to me that I should certainly be an investor in Rayovac batteries, a WI company. It seems that the batteries last only about a week or so, even though the 'mouse' goes to sleep when it is not being used, which should conserve their life, you'd think.
*
Today I had a number of wonderful things happen, not the least of which was getting a couple copies of the movie "Road to Emmaus" from Bonnie at Victory. Not only did she give one to Justin and to me, but also sent one along for Linda J.! Bonnie and her hubby bought the bulk order of DVDs and handed them out following worship last Sunday. After she gave us ours, I commented that only last night had Linda and I discussed ordering it from NPH, so Bonnie grabbed one more out of the box to send to Linda. All I have to do is get a padded envelope and off it goes northward.
*
On Easter morning when Justin surprised me at GS, he sat with me and watched as I dug fruitlessly through my purse in search of my pen. I had used earlier but somehow it disappeared. When we got home to make our feast, he saw a green pen on the counter and stuck it in my purse as a favor to me. Right after Easter was a plane ride to WI and back again which can have an adverse affect on some of the gel pens---including the one I pulled out at Bible study and made a huge mess with! Marilyn, seated next to me, noticed it first that I had ink on my hands, both of them, as well as on my leather covered Bible, my straw in the cup. Her hubby ran for a paper towel as Marilyn produced a tissue from her purse (I said, "You are a good mama....") and began the clean up. The good news was that I did not touch my face or anyone else, and it wiped off the Bible without a trace. Such excitement to start the day! Justin ran off to throw the pen in the trash, it was unsalvageable. Yikes!
*
We began a new study today using again the periodical, if that is the correct term, I think a CPH product. They evidently finished the previous study last week, the one about The Lord's Prayer. This new one is about the adoption of sons which is an excellent topic. After the class I mentioned watching the devotions from the Synod convention last year where Paul Prange did one based on the adoption of sons. It was a great devotion, all the more significant to me since I know the family and such. Needless to say, it was an excellent class. Justin did a fair share of the reading and answered several of the questions. I could die tonight knowing this....
*
Tuesday Judy, Twila and I went to see the movie "The Last Song", my first real exposure to Miley Cyrus. She did fine as far as I could tell since I had never seen her TV show or a concert. Yet in her teens, she is a singer, the daughter of a C/W musician. What I did observe was that her lips appeared inordinately plump for a teenager. The ladies did not know either if she had "work" done or not, because really, how could she? She was still in formation, right? I looked on-line and others had asked the same question regarding her appearance at the Oscars, etc. It seems she had her teeth fixed and lips puffed. She could have skipped the puffing, if you ask me. What happens as it wear off? Is it evenly done or parts at a time? Ew!
*
The other night at The Club event, I was the youngster in the group, sitting with people from my building as well as some of their friends. I had heard about women looking this way, usually TV or movie people, and have seen the politicians who had 'work' done, but see it up close was far too strange for me. This one woman who had to be in her seventies had nearly flawless skin, stretched tightly over her chin and cheekbones, but with obviously puffed lips, which were painted pink, to match her outfit. She was with a somewhat slick looking dude, whom I understand is a man of the cloth of some sort, and seemed to be younger than she. Now, what the relationship there was, I do not know, might have only been companions and nothing more, but regardless, she looked ridiculous to me. I believe that others at my table had also been worked on but none as snugly as this lady. Oh, my....It makes me think of Joan Rivers asking in her ads, "Am I smiling? I am trying to smile..." because they have little or no control over their expressions. I need my expressions, thank you very much!
*
My fingernails need some serious work and I am not afraid now of using the remover since my infection has calmed down. Not totally gone, but much much less an encumbrance than it was. The finger now bends at the knuckle when a week ago, that would have been impossible. Tomorrow afternoon I am going out to Great Hang Ups to pick up a piece being framed for hanging in the classroom building. From there I will head to get my hair cut, unfortunately later in the afternoon than I like. Maybe I should try for a Monday afternoon appointment for after our lunch...The reason tomorrow is difficult is that I would like to shower afterward, learned my lesson last time!, and am going to Victory for scrapbooking. Decisions, decisions!
*
Watching "Cash Cab" as I write, I just learned something I did not know....the clue was about an India herb, from an odd sounding name, that we know as something associated with perfume, incense, and free love. Oh my goodness, my favorite scent to use when Carol is doing my ortho-bionomy massage, patchouli oil! Free love? Really? Oops.....so now what do I do?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Blinded by the light

This a.m. as I wavered between sleep and waking, my dream had me looking into bright light, unable to keep my eyes open, although I was in a restaurant and trying to converse. It took every bit of me to keep my eyes open, in the dream, and when I woke up, it seems it was actually the sun shining into my face and I really could not open my eyes. Not until I turned my head was I fully able to wake up and realize I was not in a restaurant, dining with my former spouse!!!! YIKES!! In the 'dream' we were yet married and the bright lights/inability to open my eyes might have significance. On top of all that, my neck is quite stiff, which means I have a pain in the neck!
*
On my desk is the paperwork I need to complete in order to have a background check and clearance from the FBI, of all things. The most labor/time intensive portion of Precious Lambs Preschool's 10th anniversary celebration is gathering the names and addresses of its alumni. Evidently the law requires one have their documents in order to view the files, so that is what I must do. The staff is too busy between now and the end of June to dedicate time to this entire project so between the church secretary, who has military clearance already, and me, we should be able to access the files and get the information for the invitations. In speaking with Janet last night about another matter, modeling for the Spring Fling, she offered the assistance of herself and other teachers already cleared, who are members of our congregation, one who is the Head Elder, so I can extend this offer of assistance as well. Another of the church ladies, Judy J., offered to get the background check/FBI clearance to help with the names and addresses so this might not need to be the challenge it started out to be!
*
I have stacks of movies around my room which need to be put away again. My friends had borrowed some and returned the movies in two separate returns so I just put them on the table, the gathering place for things, in my room. That table must get cleaned off and put away once and for all. Thinking about it the other day, that particular table was pressed into service when I had to move my computer/office into the river room for the weeks when my bathroom and closet were being remodeled. Three years ago! Somehow that table never went away and while not piled full, still holds some items that I have no idea where I should put them. It seems THAT is where they belong! The bane of my existence, filing! And dealing with stuff.
*
In one of the 'to be filed' boxes are my worksheets from the "Come, Worship Christ" class we began within the past year but never finished. I can use those on Sunday mornings as we are restarting the class. When the church offices were moved from the temporary trailers to the finished building, somehow the Bible study disappeared. Likely it is still in an unpacked box and has not been exposed yet but fortunately, the church we serve in Keystone Heights had the same Bible study which we can borrow. Just don't put it in a box! Boy, I know that feeling!
*
Joanne sent me a couple e-mail messages yesterday and reports that she is getting some relief from her malady via IV bags of medication. One of the meds made her quite agitated so she is also receiving something to calm her nerves, counter-balancing the healing medication. That poor lady, I tell ya'! Yet, she felt good enough to encourage me to eat salads...unrelentingly. Okay, so I am not a salad eater, she is, and is in the hospital yet again with another strange illness. I'm just sayin'............
*
Next week Tuesday is my annual check-up with Dr. House, although I have opted for the female doctor to do my exam. In preparation for that check-up, I am practicing keeping my mouth shut as last year I was charged for two office visits because I talked about things other than simply having the check-up. Can you believe it? I had taken in my reports from the Life Line Screening with me for their records, and the over-the-counter supplements I used daily. They always ask me these questions and the time I came prepared, received a double charge. That just burned my biscuits! I told Laurie that I will come on Wednesday next week instead since my appointment would not allow me to be in the classroom.
*
Laurie claims the kids have spring fever very badly, as they are having troubles focusing on their work and using their listening ears. Last week I explained to the boys that I have VERY good hearing so it was not necessary to shout to me at our little lunch table.....One of the boys mentioned my acute hearing yesterday before I reminded them about not hollering in the classroom. We can holler on the playground so the cars passing by could hear us, but not at the table.
*
For fun I handed out the puffy balls, koosh balls (?), each one getting a different color so there would be no fighting over the colors.....silly me! Thankfully the little girl in the class gladly accepted the pink one. None of the balls came back the color they went out as since it is so dirty on the playground. The kids faces were sweaty and dirty, I will post photos later from the other computer, from running and playing. At the end of recess, I got the little pots out, plus a cup of water. I also used the ice from Laurie's drink brought by her hubby for their lovely lunch, eaten in privacy on the playground before we came out. I had three of each flower, zinnias and marigolds, and the kids got to say which one they wanted. Of course, they were all reaching and grabbing and actually playing a bit of tug-of-war with me over the pots. This amazes me, the competition and the grabbing efforts. "Really? You think you can yank this away from Ms. Kim?" Sitting is a lost concept, the remaining in one's seat is foreign, and the chairs tipping over at the slightest provocation....
*
So, as I distributed the flower pots, removing the exterior cardboard wrapper and pushing hands away, I told them the directions. Before I even finished reading the first step, some of the kids had torn open the seed packet and poured it into the pot. The directions were to soak the dirt pellet for 5 minutes and then crumble the dirt with our fingers. Two seconds and the kids were breaking up the dirt. Okay. Once the dirt pellet is broken up, open the seed packet.....Did it say pour the entire contents into the tiny pot? Nope, it said to remove five seeds from the packet and press them gently, gently, into the soil. Just picture that process, if you would. Remaining perfectly calm and talking as softly as I could, I explained that it was very very likely now that their flowers might not grow because because because they did not listen and follow directions. A life lesson. I asked them watch the plants grow, and see whose will come up, those who followed the directions, and see what happens to those who did not follow directions. It is highly possible that none of them will grow, and also possible that all of the pots will do something at first. The balance of the seeds from the packets was kept in the plastic tray I took in for the pots, which fits perfectly on the window sill. There is little sunshine there since it faces north but I hope the light will be sufficient for the seeds to grow. I am learning more and more each week I spend in the classroom, so at least one of us is coming away with something!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Starting my day off with a bang!!!

About 9:00 a.m. this morning our part of the world was rocked by the landing of the space shuttle, Discovery, announcing its return with a thunderous double sonic boom. The countdown clock showed it was still several minutes from touchdown but it must have been running ahead of schedule. On Fox News they were showing its arrival path, coming in from the west so standing in my river room to watch was futile. I decided to get back on the bed with the laptop and just as I was settling in, "BOOM! BOOM!", came the announcement of its return.
*
No sooner was I getting settled in did my phone go off, with Justin excitedly asking if I heard the sonic boom. I was still wiping a tear from the corner of my eye when he called, and I told him about that. He said, "You're just like Glenn!". Some of the readers will know what that means, and it is dear. He said he called his friend, Ron, first, to find out if he heard it, and just as Ron answered did he hear the boom. It took a while for the sound to move south and east, it seems. Even though I knew it was coming, it was still a stunner when it happened, like me wondering if Jessica upstairs is tossing her washer around the house!
*
Today is my day for Kindergarten and I am so looking forward to it. We are going to plant our tiny flowers which I picked up last week from the dollar bin at Target. I hope and pray they will sprout and grow, eventually, and I dread the thought of one or two of theirs not coming up. It might serve as a good learning experience. They can choose from the two different flowers making it their decision and their responsibility to tend the plants, if they come up! We will also play with the little fuzzy play balls I bought from the dollar bin, instead of the football like last week. I wonder if they played with it during the week and perhaps got the hang of it...
*
While I was talking with Justin, I had another call come in so I told Justin I would call him back. It was Jeff from downstairs and I thought he was calling to see I caused the sonic boom--ha! He actually was calling with some information for the newsletter for The Palace to make sure all the names are mentioned regarding certain donations. We certainly do not want hurt feelings or anything---just like the kindergarteners! When done with Jeff, I called Justin back and was chatting with him when I heard his doorbell ring. He said he had to go and would call me back later. Fine with me...we were playing tag now and he is IT! A few moments later he sent me a chat on gmail to say he would call me later after his test. I explained that I had school and church work today, before going to the movies and dinner with Twila and Judy J. We are going to see "The Last Song", which is the book I am reading in my spare time. I am a little more than halfway through the book so it won't be a deal breaker for me if I see the movie. My reading friends would finish that book by late afternoon but I will not, and I do not apologize for it either. I do look forward to going onto the next read which is the true story of a man growing up in Manitowoc County. Fiction is simply not my forte, I do so much better with current events or non-fiction reading.
*
When I showed Judy and Twila the books purchased at the St. Margaret's Fair, my little Marine tried to tell me that I should read the other books in the trilogy by this author, mostly about St. Augustine and such. Really, some day I might, but right now I am interested in the story of Fleming Island and its history. I do not mind reading them out of order at all. Twila stepped in to say that this book about Margaret Fleming was purchased at the St. Margaret's Fair on Margaret Fleming's property.......see? Thanks, Twila!
*
I have exposed my tender finger which seems to be on the mend. I can now bend my pointer without the feeling of it exploding upon contact. All the remedies seem to be at work on the infection, and I will not discount the value of the 'old' penicillin scrip I am taking. Even though it is old, it might still have some fight in it against the infection! When I go out later, I will apply the anti-biotic ointment and a bandage to protect it against flying balls and the dirt in the flower pots.
*
While I am complaining or mentioning, rather, my sore finger, my dear friend, Joanne, is sick in the hospital. Again. She never gets a little bit sick, she gets big sick. Saturday night we chatted on-line briefly and she reported having a terribly sore throat which she attributed to her being so exhausted. This was about 10:30 pm so I told her to go to bed and get some sleep. The next day while I was in church, my friend, Christine, who is a real estate partner with Joanne, left me a message about her being in the hospital. It seems that Jo could barely swallow and a CT scan showed a mass in her throat. This is never good and it frightened us both. Christine was wondering about getting Jo's sister to come down from Atlanta to sign paperwork or what have you in case Joanne could not and had put in a call to Toni. It turned out the mass was an infection which was being treated with antibiotics plus anti-inflammatories. I 'spoke' with Jo yesterday on-line and she said she did not want visitors, she cannot talk because it hurts like crazy without talking. I hope the treatment starts to work soon. Toni was coming in yesterday a.m. to manage the health and treatment for Joanne. I offered to lend whatever aid I could to Christine with the real estate work and I hope she lets me know if she needs help with something. Keep Joanne in your thoughts and prayers, please, for a full recovery from this malady.